To Be a Hero
by harvey birdman
Summary: Trouble in Paradise....A brief summary-- Time is off kilter and in order to restore peace to the land Link must face forgotten memories, find the original sages, and learn what really keeps the tri-force together. Not as cheesey as it sounds.
1. Default Chapter

Memories of a Hero

Chapter 1

(First and foremost it should be known that I DOin fact own Nintendo and thus have the privilege of using these characters in any way I see fit. HA! This statement is pure lies and I shall burn in hell for writing it. )

He began to raise his head, slowly at first, afraid to face his past. She looked at him, curiously. 

"I didn't think one so courageous as yourself was ever nervous, Sir Hero of Time." She said sarcastically, a grin on her face. "What causes you to be so coy?"

He smiled softly, saying nothing. Some things were better left unsaid. He knew, no matter what would happen, he would never forget this past. Yes, his years may be taken from him, but these moments would remain with him forever. 

She studied him, with intrigue. 

--How puzzling-- she thought. --Even one so great as he had his own demons to face. --

She thought back to that time, seven years ago. Still a child, unsure and afraid. Oh how she loved him. She knew it when he first looked into her eyes. Now he would be gone, and none of this would have happened. Things would be right. Peace would be restored, the kingdom would prosper, but she would never know the love she had waited for, for so long. 

--Kiss me. Please kiss me-- she begged, though no word left her mouth. 

--I want to tell you, Link, I want to tell you that I love you. Want to tell you to be mine. Dammit! Can you be so blind?! Can't you tell me you love me?! Do you ever say anything! Don't you realize I'll give you everything: My life, my heart, my soul! You'd be a king! Ah, what a glorious king, indeed......but you don't want that, do you? You know this can never be. You know what has to happen. The past. You deserve that. You deserve those seven years I took from you so long ago.-- 

--Because I love you, love you so much, I will give you that and never tell you of the turmoil I feel inside--

She smiled weakly and her eyes began to mist. 

"Are you ready to go back?" she said in a whisper, her eyes staring at his feet. She swallowed hard and attempted to compose herself. 

"Oh, of course you are. Time to live the life that so rightfully belongs to you." she said raising her head.

"And her. She doesn't know, you're aware. None of them do. You'll have to tell her, Link, tell her you're not the person you thought you were. You are a Hylian. You will grow and they will not. But I know she will understand. She's a smart girl, no, a woman. And though her body may not show it, she is much more ripe with knowledge than I will ever be." 

He stared at her blankly, slightly confused. What made her act so strangely? 

--Why was this so hard to tell him? What could she possibly hide after all they'd been through?-- 

He felt a rush of emotion. He had never faced anything like this before. No, not since...he left. Even then he was too frightened to say a comforting word. He just turned, and ran. Courageous indeed. He was but a coward in his mind.

--I was just a boy-- he thought. --I was immature and infantile. I've grown since then. She understands, she must. Fate had pitted them against each other. Time had pitted them against each other. It wasn't meant to be. But now, he had a second chance, fate had turned in his favor. He finally could go back and tell her how he felt, tell her why their love could never be anything more than just a friendship, and this time, be the comforting shoulder he meant to be, on that bridge seven years ago.-- 

But now he must face Zelda. He didn't understand why he felt so torn. Why did he feel this way, what had changed between them? It appeared as though he would always be alone. He fought to save a love he, himself, would never experience. Was this the ultimate sacrifice of a true hero?

He nodded in response to her question as she quickly turned away, as if to make the hurt somewhat less painful.

She stared at the heavens, then briefly skimmed over his body one last time, yearning to take a piece of this moment with her. 

"Then I guess this is goodbye."

Still, he said nothing.

"Link, please hand me the Ocarina of Time." 

He extended his arm and opened his hand concealing the instrument of their departure. She slowly moved to grab for the ocarina and in the brief moment their hands touched, everything they wanted to say became clear. She leant over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He could feel her tears brush against his face as she bid him her final a due. 

With one final sigh she put her lips around the ocarina, and began to play a song that would erase everything that brought them here. As each note echoed through the air he slowly began to feel himself become nothing more than a distant memory. 

And as he slowly faded into darkness he could barely hear her say,

"Goodbye my hero."

Chapter 2

Cuccos rustled through the streets as the noise of the chattering townsfolk filled the air. The market was a busy place (what with shoppers, loafers, merchants and thieves all out to make, or save, a ruppee) and the sunny day was one to be enjoyed. Mothers, dressed in aprons of white, went to the bakery to buy a loaf or two, then to gossip on cosmopolitan subjects as fathers gathered round beer barrels and told of successful battles. Children played with pups near the square and the older children listened to stories they didn't understand. Town guards stood on all edges and talked to, laughed at, or cursed the bumbling mass of villagers while the elderly citizens hissed from afar. In the distance, one could hear the sound of a beggar's hands beating against her lap or of the town jesters exchanging humorous tales.

This was a town of excitement. Not a day went by without something new. The land was home to many different types and races of people. The shops smelled like wine and fruit and the roads like earth, as a gentle breeze blew pines trees slightly to the east and rustled the cloth curtains covering windows. The shops were arranged in neat little rows in a square pattern divided by section: The grocers, the artillery, knick-knacks, festivities and challenges, each with it's own individual impact on the town. 

"Hurry up Malon, the milk's going to sour!" a distant voice yelled above the crowd

"I'm coming, I'm coming, just wait a second." she replied, stuffing her apron full of apples. 

"What's going on? Why are these people here? The market's normally never this crowded" she whispered to herself.

"**HAVEN'T YOU HEARD?!" **thundered the shopkeeper next to her.

"Huh!" she squeaked, not realizing anyone could hear her. 

"**I SAID 'HAVEN'T YOU HEARD?'**" he repeated in a loud but playful tone. 

"Heard, what?" She said, still caught off guard.

"**I'LL TAKE THAT AS A NO. BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!"**

She smiled out of nervousness. 

"**C'MON SWEETHEART, I WON'T BITE! ANYWAY, THEY'RE SAYIN THERE'S A NEW RULER IN HYRULE. N' SOMETHIN ABOUT THE KING GETTIN OVERTHROWN, ERR SOMETHIN. BUT DON'T YOU WORRY, IT'S ALL JUST TALK. CRAZY TOWNSFOLK DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE HELLS GOING ON!!! HMPH!! A GERUDO MAN THEY SAY. IF YOU ASK ME, ALL THEM GERUDO'S IS MEN. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!!**"

"What! That, that can't be right." she rushed in disbelief.

"**HON, I'M JUST TELLIN YOU WHAT'S GOING AROUND! THEY SAY THIS GUY'S AWFUL MEAN. CORSE, SOME OF THINK HE'S SWELL TOO! BUT I GUESS SOMETHIN'S GOING ON CAUSE ITS GOT ALL THESE PEOPLE SCARED. BUT I DON'T MIND, I NEVER HAD SUCH A GREAT BUSINESS DAY!!! THEY DAMN NEAR BOUGHT THE SHINGLES FROM THE ROOF! BWAHAHAHA!! YEAH, THEY THINK SOMETHIN BADS GONNA HAPPEN SO THEY BUYING EVERYTHING THEY CAN!! BUT, LIKE I SAID, WHO CAN ARGUE WHEN THEY'RE MAKIN THIS MUCH MONEY???!!!"**

"But, this, this can't be right. There's just no way, this just happened! Has everyone gone insane?!" she was speaking quickly and her voice was beginning to shift from concern. 

"Hon, listen" he said in the most calming way he could, "I tell you, it's just talk. These folks think it's funny to make up little stories, n' normally, it don't do no harm. But I guess they got a little carried away this time an it scared em some. That's all."

"You're not listening to me, I said THIS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED!!!! IT JUST HAPPENED!!! DON'T YOU REMEMBER??!!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS?!!!" She screamed to him, her hands clenched against his forearm, with fear in her eyes. 

He stared down at her, unable to say anything back. He could see how upset she was, she obviously believed everything she said. 

He could feel her trembling. "Listen Hon, I, I don't know what to tell you..."

"YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME! **GANON! **DON'T YOU REMEMBER **GANON! **DON'T YOU REMEMBER THE TERRIBLE THINGS HE DID?!!"

"**GANON?!! OH MY GOD! GANON'S COMING!!!!" **screamed a random voice from the crowd.

"**OH GOD IT'S GANON**!!"

****

"NOT GANON!"

"RUN!!! WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE?!!"

The crowd burst into a petrified mob. People scattered in every which way trying, desperately to escape the non-existent evil. Women ran for their children, families rushed towards the town gates. There was screaming and pandemonium, but Malon could faintly hear a voice she recognized through the swarm of townsfolk.

"Malon? Malon where are you?"

"ANJU! ANJU, WHAT'S GOING ON?!!" she ran to her friend. 

"I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T UNDERSTAND! IS GANON HERE?!" she said, almost trembling. 

"GANON? NOT YOU, TOO. DON'T YOU REMEMBER, GANON CAN'T BE HERE, GANON WAS DESTROYED!!!"

"MALON, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"Never mind, we'll talk about this later. Right now we just need to get out of here, something strange is going......OH MY GOD!!!!!" Her eyes were fixed at the sky. What had just earlier been a heavenly blue had turned to a mix of purple and red that looked like the sky was decaying. The clouds were black and enclosing the village much too quickly to be normal. Lightning crashed in the distance but the roar of the thunder sounded as if it were right behind them. The crowd screamed more and began to throw themselves against the wooden drawbridge that had somehow closed itself.

"**LET US OUT!" **

The horrific sky began to rain, but what fell wasn't water. The drops looked like blood and burnt the skin, but they continued to grow in number. It showered over the mass of civilians and began to scald blisters onto their arms and cheeks. But they had nowhere to go. The smoldering drops had ignited the hay roofs of the buildings and now there were little places to hide. Yet the town members still rushed to what little areas of refuge they could find until there was no room left. Not more than ten minutes after the rain had begun, the city was nearly destroyed and a large number of citizens lay unconscious in the street being plagued by drops of fire. 

"AHHHH!! SOMEONE HELP ME!!!! SOMEONE, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!!!" A woman shrieked hysterically from the square.

Malon forced through the collection of survivors, to an opening in their nook where she took refuge. 

"Oh God." she gasped with little air in her chest. "What's happening?" 

Her unblinking eyes had fixed themselves on one of the cataleptic victim's arms. It....it twitched. Violently. 

It suddenly became very quiet.

"What is she doing?! Where's she going?!" Malon interrogated Anju. 

"Her child. He's, he's on the other side." she replied.

All eyes were on the lifeless body. It thrashed again, this time throwing itself closer to the hysterical woman in center of the road. The woman stood completely silent, paralyzed by fear as she stared at the creature scrambling towards her feet.

It hissed lowly and jerked closer toward the woman. 

Then came a grunt from one of the other bodies. Then another. Another twitch. Now one from a different body. A moan, then a scream. 

Malon stared in disbelief.

"Oh my God, they're turning....into.....monsters." 

Chapter 3

"Link?"

"Link, is, is that you?"

The voice sounded familiar. He slowly rolled over in his bed, not opening his eyes. 

"Link, I need to speak with you." 

The voice was calm and patient, but from his slumber it sounded as though it were miles away. 

"Ugnnnnnh." he moaned as he fought for consciousness. 

He was very tired. His entire body ached all over. It was hot and exhausted. It felt like it had been ages since he had rested well. His blood had nestled on the lower horizontal half of his body and his limbs were now numb. But his bed was comfortable and he did not want to wake. 

"It's okay. Rest. I can wait."

He heard foot steps softly thump against the wooden floor, then his door quietly close.

"Huh?" he mumbled

--No! Wait!-- he thought.

He rose to his feet, his eyes jutting open, desperate to discover who's presence he had missed. But he rose too quickly. His knees locked in place and all the blood was trapped in the lower half of his body. He fell back into his bed, unconscious. 


	2. Unravel Your Past

Chapter 4

--It is impossible. After so many years of fighting how is it feasible he return, after just being condemned by the sages? There is no logical explanation. Unless......no. NO! There's just no way! It can't be true. If it was, that would mean......Agahnim. But Agahnim was banished as well. Oh this frustrating! What is happening to the world in which we live? Is Nayru punishing the people of Hyrule?!--

He flapped his wings hard and flew higher in the sky. 

The wind rustled his feathers as he soared above the land. 

--On the other hand, this may be a blessing in disguise. If Agahnim has returned it could finally give the others and myself another chance at the life we left behind. But, Zelda. Zelda needs to know. No. Not yet. First I must discover whether my suspicions are correct, and if they are, it is the sages that must first be informed. No doubt, though, they've already noticed the change. That cloud above the castle is something too familiar to be natural.--

He turned sharply to his right and began to lower to the ground. His left foot touched the branch of the Kiamora tree deep within the Lost Woods, and he perched and patiently waited for his rendezvous to arrive. 

Chapter 5

"Marin! Hey Marin, have you seen Malon anywhere?" 

"Not in a little while. She went into town with Anju to deliver the milk....._remember_? Oh, never mind, YOU WERE SLEEPING!" She laughed.

"I was nnn.........resting my eyes." He grumbled, a smile under his mustache. 

"Anyway, while you were 'resting your eyes' they loaded the wagon and went to town. But, that was...._9 hours ago_." She said, softer than before.

The realization suddenly hit her. Her eyes scanned the skies. 

Talon smiled at her. He loved her like a daughter. It touched him to see her so concerned about her friends.

"Not to worry, sweetheart. You know them, they're young! They're probably horsin' around. You kids do that all the time." 

"Yeah. But, we were going to go out tonight, remember? Kakoriko Village is having a party in honor of the King. I hear he is going to introduce that new man he added to the kingdom. They haven't had a chance to meet him yet." She said, still puzzled by the disappearance of her friends.

"Oh yes, the ummm, the Gerudo man."

"Ganondorf, yes." Said Marin still staring at the skies. 

"I, don't know a lot about him, and I'm not royalty or anything like that," she paused.

"Oh you're a princess in my eyes." Talon said, trying not to miss a beat.

"No, that's not what I mean. What I was going to say is, I'm not royalty or anything, but I get a bad feeling from that Ganondorf man." 

He could see how serious she was. 

"But you don't even know him. Besides, he can't be all that bad, he's the one who offered to pay a hefty ruppee for one of the horses here at the ranch." Talon coaxed, trying to be convincing. 

"Yeah, but, don't you ever just get a bad impression about some people?" 

Her blue eyes were locked on his. She looked frightened. She needed to see him be an adult. He had to speak rationally.

"The King is a good man. He's been around a long time and he knows his Kingdom. Do you think he would allow someone to come and help him rule over us if he didn't think him fit to do the job?" He said, confident in his response.

"I don't think it's a matter of being fit to do the job, but more of caring for the people. I hear he's ruthless, willing to throw anyone out of the way to get what he wants." She replied sternly.

"But that's just what this place needs, somebody who isn't afraid to step on people's toes. Sometimes you gotta do things the hard way to come out stronger." he said, thinking he had won the debate.

"Being strong doesn't necessarily mean being rough." she said calmly.

--GAHHHHH!!! She can shoot down any response.-- he thought.

"Welll, you're probably right. You know I don't pay much attention to those politics and such. But, perhaps you should go to the King and tell him how you feel. You never know, maybe someday they'll be throwin' a party in Kakoriko Village for you!" He said trying to make up for lost ground.

She smiled.

"Someday, maybe. After all, I do think I know the people pretty well." She boasted playfully.

"Well, we'll put you to a test: Why don't you tell me how I'm feeling right now?" Talon smirked.

"I don't know." she said unenthusiastically.

"C'mon, guess."

"Sleepy." 

"Close." He smiled. "HUNGRY! Let's go inside."

Chapter 6

"Unnnnnnggggghhhhh." 

His eyes crept open. He placed his hand atop his forehead and shook his head back and forth to hasten his awakening. It felt heavy. 

"Ahhhhhhh." he mumbled lazily. 

He wasn't ready to get up.

--Five more minutes, just five more minutes-- he thought, covering himself with a pillow. 

He was lying to himself. 

He had every intention of closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep, but he couldn't. It wasn't insomnia that was keeping him awake. It wasn't that he wasn't tired. 

It was the noise outside. It wasn't loud by any means, it was just.......so familiar. 

A song he had been taught long ago filled the air inside, outside, and around his hollowed tree home.

--That sound. It's.........SARIA!!!--- 

Just the thought of seeing his old friend filled him with adrenaline. He shot out of bed with a new found energy and ran toward the door. 

The door burst open and he, a smile on his face, was ready to greet the day! 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the forest air. 

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" 

--How refreshing-- he thought.

He gave his homeland a quick sweep from his balcony, but the sun was in his eyes so he jumped to the forest floor. 

The grass was soft and cushioned his boots. The sun glistened through freshly settled dewdrops giving a small rainbow glare to the surrounding area. The entire village had a glowing green aura and the air smelt of pine and oak. Oh how happy he was to be home at last! 

He ran up the small hill in front of his home and eagerly awaited the appearance of the friend he missed so much. 

But his excitement had clouded his mind. In the haste of his anticipation there were several things he left unnoticed. 

His blood was pumping hard. He wanted to speak with his friend, and that was all he was thinking about. Everything else had become unimportant. 

But Saria was unable to be found. Any Kokiri, for that matter, was unable to be found. 

Something felt wrong to him. Where was everyone? Perhaps he was up too early, but the ever beaming presence of the sun ruled out this possibility. But that wasn't the only thing out of the ordinary.

He had an idea. He reached for the Ocarina, with the intent of communicating with Saria.

Something stopped him. The Ocarina of Time had vanished.

--Zelda. Zelda has the Ocarina. When she brought me back to where I belong the Ocarina stayed with her, as if none of this had ever happened.-- he realized. 

--But Navi! Navi must have the Ocarina Saria gave to me.-- 

After all, Navi used her magical specter to hold all the items too large or abundant for any normal being to hold.

But Navi had also vanished without a trace. 

He didn't understand what was going on. Was this a dream? 

He wanted to know what had happened. He wanted to know why no one was around. But most of all, he wanted to see his friend. 

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He had discovered one of the things he had passed over earlier. His height. 

Just one of the many irregularities afflicting his paradise. 

The world in which he lived seemed to be the same one as when he was a child, but he was already an adult. Something had gone terribly, terribly wrong. 

--What, what has happened to me?-- he thought burying his head in his hands. 

--Where are my friends? How did I get here? Is this the past or the present? Or is this, the future? This doesn't make any sense!-- he pondered, drilling himself for information. 

He was alone, and had no idea why. 

****


	3. Fear above all else

Chapter 7

He busied himself as best he could. All his dedication was toward his hands, as he swept the room spotless. 

--This is completely useless. I'm never going to get this thing clean. It's sitting on dirt for God's sake!-- He thought, sweeping harder the more he reflected.

On the whole, his cottage was pristine, aside for the rug of course. The shingled wooden roof was covered in leaves giving his home a crown of green and the polished wooden sides mirrored smoke lightly ascending from the chimney. It was beautiful. Although it's shape differed only slightly from the many shacks surrounding it, it glowed with originality. 

There was something special about this place. 

He fumbled with the broom. 

"DAMMIT, THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! BASTARD RUG, WHY WON'T YOU CLEAN?!!!" he cursed.

His friends watched from a distance, laughing at his erratic behavior. 

"Oh no, not this again." 

"Second time this week."

"Dear God, he's getting worse. Wait a second, I thought he bought a new rug. What's he doing with that one?"

"What the hell's it look like? He's killing it!" he said with a smirk.

"No need to be a smart ass, you know what I mean. Why is wasting so much time cleaning it up if he's only going to throw it away?"

"You honestly think _he's_ going to throw something away?"

"Honestly, this is completely idiotic. The roof is going to blow right off the top of his house. He can't keep putting that worthless junk up there, he needs to throw some of that shit away!" 

"Un uh, no, not this one." he said, shaking his head, "You should be impressed, he's not throwing this one away."

"Then where the hell is it going?!"

"Oh, he's going to sell it." he replied taking a bite of his apple. 

"Well, that's a step forward." He said, slightly relieved.

He began to approach Tarin who was still furiously attacking the rug.

"Listen here you stupid little bastard, this is what's going to happen: I'm gonna sweep you, and you, you're gonna get swept. And you're gonna like it. You're gonna get nice and clean, and you're not gonna give me any trouble, ya hear me. Cause if you do, I'm gonna take this broom and beat the living fu......" 

"Tarin! You need a little help?" He said, interrupting him and his work. 

"No, I'm fine. Just giving a little.....um.....pep talk." He said looking a little embarrassed. 

He knew he being obsessive. He knew everyone else saw it, too. But he didn't care. It wasn't about being clean, it was about keeping busy. He didn't want any more to sit and think then he had to. Instead, he would rather leave troublesome memories be. Besides, it had been years since anyone had mentioned her name. She was but a memory to everyone else. In time, he prayed, hopefully she could be a memory to him, too. 

"Well, you take it easy, okay? The last thing I need is to wake up in the middle of the night and find you dead of an embolism. Speaking of which, you really need to get to bed, it's almost midnight." He tried to be as comforting as possible. He knew how difficult it was to be alone. 

"Yeah....I'll stop." He began to turn away.

"Hey Mido...." He paused.

"Yeah?" 

"Thanks." 

He grabbed the troublesome rug in one hand and the broom in the other and began to shuffle toward his door. 

"What a night." He muttered underneath his breath.

He ritualistically went from room to room, going through the motions of his nightly routine: **1) **Check all the rooms. **2) **Lock the door. **3) **Brush teeth. **4) **Pee. **5) **Check the rooms again. **6) **Ensure the lock is working. **7) **Scan the town via the window. **8) **Check all rooms a final time. **9) **Go pee again. **10) **Grab a glass of water. **11) **Shut off all the lights and head to bed. 

He crawled underneath his covers and began to drift to sleep.

****

BAM!!!!!

Shock flew through his body and it jumped above the bed. His eyes shot open and he raised himself half out of his cot, at the same time panting for air.

****

BAM!!!!!! 

He shook his head and cleared his eyes as quickly as he could. His hand gripped his deku stick and he sneaked to the left hand side of his door. 

****

BAM!!!!! It pounded again.

"ssomeebbodyy...." The voice was weak and lacking air. 

Terror filled his eyes.

POW!! The beatings were losing strength.

"hhelp." It faded away.

--What the fuck is going on?-- he thought. 

--I can't open to door, who knows what's behind it. But, it needs my help! What do I do, What do I do?!-- raced through his mind.

He took a deep breath and counted to three.

1...........2..........**3!!!!!!** he threw open the door and in collapsed a beautiful young woman covered in blood. 

"Oh my God!" he gasped, catching her as she fell.

"hhhh, hhhh, hhhelp me, please." She said faintly.

"I will, I will." he rushed, "Who are you, what happened to you?"

She looked down at the ground, not moving.

"Who did this to you?!"

"He does exist. I...I don't know how." She said almost inaudibly, "hi, hi don't know how but he's back."

"**WHO?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!!!**"

"ganon" she whispered.

"**LISTEN, I NEED YOU TO LISTEN TO ME: WHO DID THIS TO YOU?!!**"

"they were.....they were monsters......" 

Chapter 8

"Sorry I'm late. I just wanted to see if....."

"If he was awake yet. No need to apologize, child, it's a friend's duty to be concerned." he said smiling.

"So Saria, what have you come to tell me?"

"What have I come to tell _you_?" She said, slightly confused. "I think you know very well it is you that called me here." 

"Yes, that is correct, but I want to know what you have to tell me." He said, looking down at her.

"Where do I begin? What can I say that you haven't already seen for yourself?" she said, concern in her eyes.

"My dear sage, there is much to discuss, but what I tell you I am unable to show you, in this world....or rather, this time."

"This time? I, I don't understand."

"Don't you? Tell me Saria, when you saw Link, did anything in particular catch your eye?" He said, ruffling his feathers. 

"Yes......it did." 

She looked down and gave a brief sigh. She closed her eyes and imagined Link, the way she had seen him......an adult. A superfluous reminder it was impossible they ever be together. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, nearly composing herself completely.

"Why, why is he an adult? It doesn't make sense. I was under the impression his seven years would be returned to him. Wouldn't that mean......." Kaepora Gaebora interrupted her. 

"Yes, yes, a boy. He was to be a boy. But obviously that didn't happen, now did it? But that's not the only thing troubling me at the moment. It would appear as though the entire flow of time has been thrown off kilter."

"And Ganon. What is this of his return?" She stared him directly in the eyes.

"Once again, I'm not certain. But I do have an idea......"

"LINK!" She cried in happiness. 

Chapter 9

"Malon." She said opening her eyes.

"What?" He said, slightly startled.

"Ah!" She squeaked.

"What?!" 

"My hand, you squeezed it. It still hurts." She said, looking slightly dazed.

"Sorry, you caught me off guard. You've been out for almost 48 hours. I wasn't sure if you were going to wake up or not." He said, looking into her eyes.

"You give up on people too easily. Anyway, Malon." She said serenely.

"Excuse me?" He looked confused.

"You asked me my name, and I told you; Malon."

He didn't say anything.

"I guess I should say 'Thank you' first, though." she paused "THANK YOU!" she giggled. 

"Unh, my side still hurts a little, but I think I'll be okay. Thank you for taking care of me!" She smiled at him.

"It was no probl......"

"**OH MY GOD! ANJU!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO ANJU?!!!**" Her eyes moved wildly, she was very upset.

"**HAVE YOU SEEN HER ANYWHERE? OH I HOPE SHE'S SAFE! DO YOU KNOW?! DO YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS? DID SHE MAKE IT BACK TO MARIN?! DI......"**

"MARIN?!"

Just the sound of her name sent chills down his spine. Could it be? Was she alive? All these years he had spent waiting, praying she be alive, and now.....it might just be possible.

It got very quiet. They stood, staring at each other, saying nothing.

"You know Marin?" he asked inquisitively.

"_You_ know Marin?" She asked in disbelief. 

"OF COURSE I KNOW MARIN, SHE'S MY SISTER!!!" He said enthusiastically. 

It became quiet again. Malon jumped to her feet and began to head toward the door. 

"Where are you going?" He said. 

"C'mon. Let's go, I have a friend to find, and if you want to see Marin, you'll help me get where I need to go." She said, commandingly. 

"Wait! Just, let me get my stuff." He chirped. 


End file.
